


Let's Try This Again

by Ksci_janitor



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Blow Jobs, Dating, M/M, alcohol use, how do you break up when you were never going out in the first place?, post "break-up"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:20:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27908887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ksci_janitor/pseuds/Ksci_janitor
Summary: 4 times Newt tried to rebound.  Failed dates and pining!  Just wanted to have fun theorizing all the people Newt would try to date who are totally, definitely NOT Hermann..Timeline is a bit wonky, but pretend it's a year or two from when they "broke-up" and when they both joined PPDC.
Relationships: Newton Geiszler/Hermann Gottlieb
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	Let's Try This Again

_“Cute Guy”_

After he’d put away the ice cream, thrown away all the pizza boxes, cleaned the couch, he watched a video about mindfulness while he debated which pants to wear that night. Something that signaled “Please fuck me” but not “Please fuck me I’m stupid lonely.” He settled on something in-between and headed out for the first time in weeks. Newt checked his phone on the train. Still no replies. He tried to ignore how much he wished a notification would pop up, it’s been weeks, almost a month since he’d heard anything from him. This in no way bothered him. Newt focused on the passing houses outside his window. 

It didn’t take nearly as long as he thought it would at the bar. The guy was cute. He laughed at Newt’s jokes. He touched his arm at least two times. Newt hadn’t checked his phone in nearly two hours and he suddenly felt bold. He set down his third drink.

“Hey, do you wanna get out of here?” 

The cute guy raised an eyebrow. “Where were you thinking?”

  
  


The alley was empty and Newt threw himself at the cute guy. Kissing him roughly, he could feel himself melting into the moment. This was nice. This was more than nice. Cute guy’s hand on his ass, squeezing through his newly dubbed “fuck me pants.” He didn’t need anything more right at this moment.

His phone buzzed.

Newt ignored it and began sucking the cute guy’s neck. It buzzed again.

“Heh, sorry, I just need to check something real quick-“ He pulled his phone out while the cute guy did something interesting with his hand. 

_New text from Hermann <3 _

“OH SHIT.”

“Aw babe, you like that?”

“Uh, yeah, wait, what-“

Hermann <3: _Hello. This is a bit awkward but I was hoping I could pick your brain about an article I have due soon. I hope you’re doing well._

Newt stared at his phone. _I hope you’re doing well._

“Wow, babe, you’re so hard right now. Did I get you riled up?” The cute guy kissed his cheek.

“Uh.” Newt had forgotten what he was doing.

“You mind if I-?”

“Do whatever you want.”

Newt continued to stare at his phone while cute guy got on his knees. Newt closed his eyes and thought about how terrible Hermann’s timing was. He put his phone away. Hermann could wait for once, Newt thought. He came in cute guy’s mouth a second later. This was fine. He’s coping.

—

_“Smart Guy”_

Smart Guy was cute but more importantly, he was _really_ smart. Newt loved it. They had met in a cross department mixer a month ago. Smart Guy said something complementary about Newt’s tattoos and Newt found himself asking him out. Smart Guy graciously accepted.

Newt was in a nice restaurant with Smart Guy, talking about work and god was it nice talking to someone who got how fucked academia was. They traded department gossip and Newt found his hand clutching Smart Guy’s hand. Newt couldn’t remember the last time he held hands with anyone. He could remember the last time he wanted to though. Things just felt nice and familiar with Smart Guy. Newt couldn’t pinpoint this feeling but he liked how it felt.

They were onto dessert when Newt checked his email real quick. He smiled and Smart Guy looked curiously at him.

“What’s got Dr. Geiszler smiling?”

“What? Oh nothing, just something a friend sent me.” Newt turned his phone to show him the bad math meme Hermann had just sent him. Smart Guy looked surprised suddenly.

“Wait, are you friends with Hermann Gottlieb?”

“Uh, yeah?? You know him?”

Smart Guy laughed awkwardly and took a sip of water. “I, uh, might’ve been ‘involved’ with him at some point.”

Newt fought the urge to yell. “In-involved? Like-“

“Oh we dated a handful of years ago, not for very long! We broke up because, well, we realized were just too similar. It was like dating a bitchy version of myself and I don’t know, it just got to be too much.” Smart Guy stabbed at his cheesecake a little too forcefully while Newt tried not to gape. He couldn’t stop staring at Smart Guy’s all too familiar bad haircut.

Newt took him home and during sex he bit his tongue more than once to stop himself from saying the wrong name. 

—

_“Cool Guy”_

Cool Guy might be TOO COOL. Newt thought he knew what it meant to be cool but this guy is just-

“Oh HI!! I didn’t know you were here tonight, what’s up my man?” Newt looked to see Cool Guy shaking hands with the bartender who’s clearly thrilled to see Cool Guy. Just like the owner of the restaurant they were just at was, and the woman who stopped them on the walk over, and the bouncer- Newt shook his head. He needed a drink.

He butted into the excited conversation, “Hey could I get a rum and coke?” They both looked at him blankly for a second, forgetting there was technically a third person standing there. Bartender recovered finally, “Oh sure man, give me a sec!” Newt said thanks and turned to his date to say something but found he was already getting back pats and hugs from someone else further down in the bar. Newt sighed and waited for his drink. 

Newt had always thought he had a certain element of coolness, people in his department didn’t refer to him as a “rockstar” for nothing right? He was starting to think maybe he needed reassurance from more people than his lab supervisor who wore crocs. Newt got his drink and tried to find Cool Guy. He spotted him near the DJ table, talking to someone he had to assume was tonight’s DJ. Newt walked over, sucking his drink through a tiny straw at a rate that will definitely require him to get another one soon.

“Hey, whatcha doing?” 

“Oh hey babe, Cyclone here is showing me his set up! I actually might spin something tonight myself, it’s been ages but I think it’ll be chill.”

Newt choked on his drink. “Y-you used to be a DJ?”

“Oh only for 10 years, while I was finishing up my residency. Helped pay the med school bills for sure!” Cool Guy laughed and started fiddling with something on the table. Newt saw that his drink was empty and started towards the bar again.

He sighed as he waited for his new drink. Okay, maybe Cool Guy is TOO cool, why’d he even agree to go on this date with Newt? Newt thought back. Maybe meeting him on a run in his shortest shorts had something to do with it. Maybe the way Newt bent over to pick up his phone that kept dropping from his hand. Newton Geiszler: expert flirter. Newt grabbed his new drink and checked his phone. Hermann had texted.

Hermann <3: _Hello. Fixing lines of code is a bore, how are you faring this Friday night?_

Newt grinned. 

Newt: _Ah, on a weird date with that guy I told you about last week._

Hermann <3: _Ah, yes, the “doctor” doctor?_

Newt: _YES the doctor doctor_  
  
Newt paused before texting more. Did he dare reveal that this guy was in fact the coolest guy he’d ever met? And that he had a ton of friends and Newt didn’t and Newt was actually very psyched to get a text from his dorky, not-crush? Newt looked up and saw Cool Guy already starting his DJ set and talking to some other “cool” guy. Hmm.

Newt: _He’s totally boring tho. Thinking of splitting early. Wanna stream something together when I get home?_  
 _  
_Hermann <3: _Yes. Sounds lovely. Let me know when you’re home. :-)_

Newt’s stomach flipped with that emoji. He set his drink down and went outside as the music changed and wafted out the bar behind him.

\- 

_“Young Guy”_

Young Guy was, well, young. Not technically that much younger than Newt, but he was a pretty good j-tech and kinda cute, qualifications Newt thought was good enough. Tendo introduced them a week ago during a movie night (which they talked through) and made plans to go out the following Friday. Newt had been excited, texting him throughout the week, maybe bragging to Hermann that he still had it. But come the date, something was kinda off.

“Oh my god, you’ve NEVER listened to ‘Relationship of Command?”

“What of what??“

“I’m sending you a link right now, this is history you’re missing.”

Young Guy sighed and twirled his drink. They were both sitting outside a cafe not too far from the Shatterdome, in a surprisingly trendy part of Hong Kong. It was bustling as everyone was out getting food from the stalls nearby.

“Ugh, no signal. I wonder if there’s a record shop nearby-“

“Records? Aren’t those expensive and like, OLD.”

Newt blushed. “Well yeah, but the sound is amazing and it’s really fun collecting them-“

Young Guy laughed, “Wow, record collecting. You gonna tell me you collect comic books next?”

Newt choked on his drink. “Y-yes? Wait, what the fuck do you have against comic books?”

Young Guy rolled his eyes, “Uh, why read a comic when you have the movies to watch?”

Newt steeled himself for the argument he had welling inside him but instead spotted a familiar sweater vest looking at a noodle stall behind Young Guy.

“Hey! HEY HERMANN!!” Newt waved his arms and whistled, causing a few people to turn and stare.

Hermann looked over in surprise. Hermann started his way over as Young Guy sighed and gave Newt a withering look.

“Why are you inviting _him_ over here? He’s like the dorkiest guy in the Shatterdome. Dresses like my grandpa.” Newt looked at him incredulously. This was worse than the comic book thing now. Newt knew Hermann was dorky and yes the clothes were grandpa-ish, but dammit that was the elure. 

“I’m inviting him over because this date is DONE.” Newt crossed his arms. Young Guy scoffed.

“Are you kidding me?”

“Hello? I hope I’m not interrupting.” Hermann asked as he reached their table.

Young Guy stood up and snatched his coat off the back of his chair. 

“No. Here, sit. I was just leaving.” He glared at Newt who glared back and flipped him off. Young Guy walked off into the crowd and Hermann stood there confused before rounding on Newt.

“What did you say to that young man?”

“Ugh, dude, nothing, he was being a dick. Don’t worry about it. Here sit down.” Newt gestured to the empty seat. Hermann sat, still eyeing Newt. 

“You didn’t have to be so rude, no wonder he left in a huff.” 

Newt sighed, “No, I’m being serious, he was being an ass. I’m sorry I wasted a week texting him. Here, you should order some waffles from here, the matcha ones are so good.” Newt handed Hermann the brightly colored menu. Hermann took his glasses out and peered at the pictures.

“I haven’t had dinner yet, this is far too sweet.” Newt grinned and waved for a waiter to come by the table.

“Dude it’s on me, have some dessert before dinner sometimes, you deserve it.”

Hermann looked up over the menu at Newt with searching eyes. Newt sighed.

“I’ll help you eat it.”

“Fine.” Hermann put the menu down and Newt saw his small smile.

“Hey, have you ever listened to At the Drive-in?”

“If this is one of your ‘bands’, I have doubtlessly heard it at some point in the last year. Tell me more.”

Newt grinned and started talking. Hermann. His Perfect Guy.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! find me at the usual spots @k-sci-janitor (tumblr) and @k_sci_janitor (twitter)!


End file.
